ABSTRACT
In a library context, most electronic databases are based on an equivalent printed index but offer greater flexibility and sophistication in the searching process. Although there is much greater variety in the types of databases that can be called source databases, they still form a minor portion of the total files available through the three major online retrieval systems. However, as is evident from the above list of source databases, any file which contains the complete text of the information being sought whether a formula, a definition, a date, or a statistic is by definition a full-text database. In fact, many are still published in hard copy form in addition to being available in an electronic medium. Regardless of a searcher's expertise on a given information retrieval system, conducting a successful search is highly dependent on the individual's ability to analyze the query properly and to select the appropriate database(s) for searching.
